The Vegan Scene in the Food and Fashion Industries

Two fashion and food experts share their insights on the vegan scene in these two important industries

Los Angeles, July 7, 2024 What is the state of the vegan food and fashion scene? It’s an important question because our ability to transition to a plant-based culture in these two key areas could help us avoid the worst impacts of climate change, habitat destruction, wildlife extinction, world hunger, and lifestyle diseases. UnchainedTV’s Jane Velez Mitchell spoke with two vegan leaders in these sectors. Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is the author, founder, and host of Healthy Voyager, a hit vegan cooking show on UnchainedTV. Jonathan Ohayon is the author of a brand new book on the fashion industry and a leader in vegan fashion. You can watch this fascinating conversation here:

The State of the Vegan Fashion Scene

Jonathan Ohayon is a passionate entrepreneur on a mission to inspire clothing, footwear, and accessories designers and manufacturers to stop abusing animals in the name of fashion. Growing up in Paris, Jonathan was deeply influenced by his family’s rich heritage in the French fashion industry. In 2015, he co-founded Arsayo alongside his father and brother. Arsayo makes vegan and ethical backpacks and accessories, using innovative and sustainable alternatives to animal leather, such as cork. The company has won awards from the prestigious Lépine competition and the French Ministry of the Interior. Ohayon also frequently donates his time and talents as a gourmet chef to vegan causes in Los Angeles, where he now lives. In 2019, he founded the FAKE movementwhich aims to promote vegan fashion by creating pop-up events in iconic cities. Here's what he had to say about his organization:

I created the FAKE movement, which stands for Fashion for Animal Kingdom and Environments, out of necessity because I couldn’t find places to showcase the backpack we created. That’s how it all started. I created ethical fashion pop-ups. Then we had a vegan fashion museum. We did fashion shows all over the world, in Tel Aviv, Los Angeles, and Paris. That’s when I realized that the biggest gap in the fashion industry was education.

According to Ohayon, the biggest problem in the fashion industry is the cruelty inherent in its processes and products. He decided to reveal what really goes on in the manufacturing of leather, cashmere, fur and silk by writing a book called The Fashion Industry Doesn't Want You to Read This BookHe says this about it:

The main thing is education. By understanding how horrible the leather, wool and silk industries are, I knew I had to write this book. I did it out of necessity. I never considered myself a writer. It's just that we need a book like this. That's why I did it.

We need to change our mindset and stop putting leather on a pedestal. Leather is horrible and we need alternatives. You can wear great shoes made from organic cotton or organic hemp. Jonathan Ohayon, vegan entrepreneur

The State of the Vegan Food Scene

Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is a respected figure in the world of healthy living, cooking and plant-based nutrition. With a highly acclaimed vegan cookbook and travel show under her belt, Carolyn has travelled the world, proving that the vegan movement is a global phenomenon. The Healthy Traveler The show was born in 2005 to entertain people who have difficulty traveling due to dietary restrictions. It also caters to those who want to stay healthy, eco-friendly, and fit even when away from home. Here's how she sees the state of the vegan food scene:

I’ve been vegan for 26 years now and I’m thrilled to see how far we’ve come. When I first started, people would look at me and say, “Oh my gosh, this is going to be really hard.” No one had heard of it. It was just the beginning. Now, I hear the words “vegan” and “plant-based” all over the world. I think we’re doing really well. We still have a long way to go, but I’ve seen the movement come leaps and bounds, more than I ever imagined.

Carolyn Scott-Hamilton's Vegan Ceviche Recipe

She has veganized traditional dishes in 140 countries

Here's what Scott-Hamilton has to say about people who use the excuse of tradition to refuse to try vegan alternatives to their favorite foods:

I think over time we're going to see the excuse of tradition disappear, because I've veganized pretty much everything that I grew up with, the things that I loved, in every country that I've been to. I've been to 140 countries now, and I've been able to enjoy their traditional foods in a vegan way. So I think that excuse is going to disappear.

We are simply programmed to believe that things have always been the way they should be, but if that were the case, we would still be living in caves. Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, The Healthy Traveler